Ongota language
| Ongota | |
|---|---|
| Birale | |
| Pronunciation | /iːfa ʕoŋɡota/ |
| Native to | Ethiopia |
| Region | Southern Omo Zone, Southern Region |
| Ethnicity | 115 Ongota (2012) |
Native speakers | 12 (2012) |
unclassified (possibly a language isolate) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bxe |
| Glottolog | bira1253 |
| ELP | Ongota |
Ongota is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Ongota (also known as Birale, Birayle) is a moribund language of southwest Ethiopia. UNESCO reported in 2012 that out of a total ethnic population of 115, only 12 elderly native speakers remained, the rest of their small village on the west bank of the Weito River having adopted the Tsamai language instead. The default word order is subject–object–verb. The classification of the language is obscure (Sava & Tosco 2015).